Up from the Sea, We Rise
by Violentkitsune
Summary: The Merfolk have been hunted, one by one, their tribes dwindling over the last thousands of years. Katara, last of a dying warrior tribe, and her comrades have found refuge in the town on Emerald Island. But there is more to this quaint town; magic runs freely through the streets, and there are families that have deep connections to old enemies. Mermaid AU, Zutara
1. Chapter 1

**HOUSEKEEPING!: Ahem - **

**\- **_italics are thoughts_

_\- **bold and italicised is Greek**_

**Chapter 1: Identity**

* * *

Sirens we were called. Sea nymphs, Maidens of the sea, Poseidon's heavenly servants of the deep. Merrow. Mermaids. Mermen. Merfolk. All in all we were the same beings under different names.

Over thousands of years ago, in the time before Greece had been born, the world was full of the mystical and magic. The Merfolk swam rampant throughout the waters, unafraid of showing their scales to the fragile mortal species called humans. They looked upon us as gods and goddesses, beings of immense power worthy of their worship. Our knowledge was vast, our skills unlimited, our kindness never-ending. We gave of our knowledge of the mystical arts that they could master for themselves in exchange for the riches that our people were so very interested in. Humans and Mer were kindred spirits.

Or at least we were thought we were.

As centuries passed, the greed of humanity infected the mortals like a deadly disease until they turned their backs on us. We are nothing but fairy tales to them, stories to tell to children at night. History was rewritten as they carried on their wars, forgetting the immortal beings who pondered and pleaded with the same question: what they had done wrong?

Then the Purge came.

Whispers of Witches and Warlocks stealing the power of my kindred spread throughout the globe. For every death of each Mer, our skills, our knowledge and power were absorbed by the insatiable practitioners of magic. Their lust for power grew with each soul they'd taken from my people, and the members of our tribes dwindled each year. The merfolk were forced to abandon their dwellings throughout the world, left to scavenge about as nomadic creatures of society throughout the time continuum. Our way of life was gone, our culture nonexistent. Now we are nothing but myths and shadows to the world of the living.

This is the history of my people. A once great race now at the near point of extinction.

How did we get to this point?

* * *

Katara's P.O.V

The call of the waves was what rescued me from the nightmares. The screams of my comrades as they disappeared from my sight into a pit of fire . . .

I tugged at the hair on my scalp, letting the ends brush my wrist. No matter how many years would pass, my mind would not permit me to forget the deaths of those closest to me. My avia Kanna, her guardian Pakku. Papa being ripped away from me when I was young.

I got up off the queen-sized bed and crawled towards the gilded frame, looking at my reflection. For over a hundred years I've walked amongst the mortals, taken on different names. Irvette. Allae. Johanna. Bellatrix. Kya, after my mother. This time I'm taking on my original name.

Katara.

Skin like molten bronze, mocha brown hair that trailed down my back. Sad cerulean eyes with gold flecks in one eye and silver in the other, a slight teal tint in one eye and frozen in the other. My body was built like that of a powerful swimmer, with all the allure and beauty that our race inherited. The blue tunic I wore over my torso hung slightly off my shoulder, the hem swinging loosely above my knees. Despite the many decades I've spent dwelling on land, and the many more that I've yet to spend, I will never get use to these legs. Its against my very nature to spend more time on land than I do in water.

I kept my hand pressed against the walls as I moved throughout the vintage beach house. keeping the sound of my movements low to not wake up the other tenants. In one room slept the recent addition Hahn, a brash, arrogant Mer with a pompous attitude and fierce loyalty towards the Merfolk. Further along with snow white hair was my companion Yue, her face devoid of any emotion as she slept. She'd been with me since the aftermath of the JFK assassination, serving as a trustworthy woman at my back.

The lounge was large, with secondhand furniture set up around the room. Canvases of coastal landscapes attempted to embellish the bland, grey walls. I pulled up at the window seat bathed beneath the moonlight, leaning up against the frost-covered windows. Outside was a vast dirt road leading up to the main highway leading into town. Otherwise there was nothing to see but trees, long grass, and fireflies dancing about the flowers.

I tapped one long finger against the glass, pulling the frost flakes towards it. They slid across the plane, swirling about my finger in a cyclonic manner. I splayed my fingers out, watching the flakes burst outwards into a shifting lily-flower. Boredom can lead one to do so many pointless things.

I sighed. Tomorrow I would be starting off at the Arion Academy, along with Hahn who was to act as my rather estranged cousin. Yue had secured herself a job down at the docks with the Ferry Sunrise tourism company, and would act as Hahn's older sibling and our guardian. Despite her being a few years older than me in Merfolk age, her appearance gave the illusion that she was much more mature than her actual years. Not to mention that the amount of books she's read throughout her lifetime has increased her vocabulary exponentially, therefore she would sound much more mature in the presence of other adults.

The other Mermaid appeared on the window seat beside me, pressing her back up against the glass. Her silver hair fell across her shoulders like spun starlight, casting a celestial blue glow as it reflected back the light of the moon. She grasped her shoulders and pulled her legs close to her. Yue was a child of Lunar Royalty, containing the merged bloodlines of a Priestess of the Moon, and a Guardian of the Deep. Her tribal tattoo was imprinted on her left shoulder blade, partially obscured by her silver night gown. She was the last of a dying bloodline, just like the rest of us nomads that floated around the world, but hers was far more precious in more ways than one.

"You ready for tomorrow?" She whispered politely in the darkness.

I shrugged. "I've been through this charade over a hundred times, and yet you would think that I would be feeling immune to all those 'high-school jitters' that mortals always talk about on their films. But the truth is, I don't know. I don't know if I am prepared, or if I've just lost touch with my emotional side with things like this." I pulled back my hand and pushed my hair over my scalp. "I've grown use to cutting my emotions off for so long, that I don't know how to feel again.."

Yue reached over and held one of my hands in her soft palms. There were obvious differences between us. Yue was a more delicate individual, better in the field of battle as a medic and a healer rather than a warrior. Her hands were smooth against my rough calloused hands, light white scars etched into the skin. "It'll be okay, Katara. We'll get through this somehow."

I smiled back wryly at her. Her optimism was her only form of defense when she had no advice to give in hopeless situations. And this truly was a circumstance where even the word hope is banned from our minds.

* * *

"This place looks like a dump."

I narrowed my eyes as I watched Hahn sneer at the place with such distaste and vile. Black hair fell around his face, framing pale skin and dark indigo blue eyes. He wore a tight-fitting green shirt and beige cargo pants tucked into a pair of italian work boots, with a dark grey scarf wrapped around his neck.

He had the mannerisms of a spoilt princeling.

I looked over at the school grounds and couldn't but agree that yes, the place had very little appeal for the eyes. Despite the grades and programmes that were boasted about in the brochures for the school, Arion Academy seemed to be a bit reminiscent of a boarding school to the outsiders. Tall buildings made from bricks, styled into early pre-columbian features. To the far west of the campus was an obstacle course, available only for the use of those in physical education from my observation. However some of the areas we saw were in desperate need of a makeover as we moved to the administration office.

"Whoever the architect was that designed this place did a poor job," Hahn continued to mutter. "Clearly they had no artistic taste whatsoever. Wouldn't you agree Katara?"

I gave a him a steely gaze. "As always Hahn, your opinion is highly... irrelevant," I answered coldly. "The last thing we need now is for you to go ahead and start blabbing about how everything doesn't meet your standards."

Hahn glared at my back as I moved up to the desk, acting out the role of a confused high school girl. The woman behind the desk looked up from her workload and peered at us behind thin-framed glasses. I could feel her judging my attire; the large blue jumper that I wore was beginning to undo at the seams along the wrist, and there was a threadbare hole on the right sleeve, my elbow poking out from beneath clad in grey. The jeans I wore fitted the length and shape of my legs, slightly frayed in the knees. Needless to say I probably looked like a right sorry mess in the eyes of the youth these days. But I didn't care; I was going to live out my time here being invisible, so why should I bother impressing people? The woman pursed her lips as she gazed at the pair of us. "You the newbies?" She croaked, exhaling a breath that stunk of gum and cigarettes.

I nodded obligingly and watched as she pulled out several folders from beneath the desk. "There's your timetable, map and other course requirements in there," she said in a drone tone. "If you have any problems talk with your teachers before bothering me."

I arched one eyebrow and handed Hahn his folder, walking down the halls. Hahn sneered at anyone that looked at him for too long, scaring them away with his malicious smirk.

"_**Stupid old hag**_," he spoke. I noticed that he'd switched to Greek, catching the admiring glances of other teenage girls.

"_**Enough with the pretense,**_" I said harshly to him in the mothertongue. "_**We're here to blend in, not stand out like a sore thumb**_." I caught a few other glances of some of the other girls and gave a firm nod.

"You're so uptight," Hahn replied in a lofty tone, reverting back to the english tongue. "You have the attitude of an old prudish spinster."

A delicate eyebrow arched up as I watched him saunter ahead of me. I daresay that the boy never learnt any manners during his upbringing. He was an inch away from being knocked down a few inches, and I can't promise that I won't hold back against him.

We moved into a room half-filled with students and sat at opposite ends of the room. While Hahn had moved to a seat right by the door, which was strategically centred beside a group of girls wearing short skirts and cotton shirts - I volunteered for a corner seat right in the back. No one else had claimed any of the surrounding seats around me leaving me to my own thoughts for a few mere moments. I played about with the yin-yang charm on my silver chain necklace. One side made from lapis lazuli, the other from turquoise stone. Two complementary colours that reflected the mood of the ocean.

"That's a nice charm. Your boyfriend get that for you?"

I twisted my head around and saw a young teenage girl waving a gold fan on herself. She wore a modest pale green summer dress with a belt tied around her waist, and the skirt flared around her knees. She had a red-brown shoulder-length bob cut, and violet eyes that sparked with mischief and ferocity. The tanned girl seemed to have an easy-going attitude as she appraised me with her intelligent eyes, looking at me as if I was a newly discovered species rather than a threat to her ranking in the social hierarchy.

"It was a birthday gift from my older brother," I answered her softly. The memory of my brother lingered in my mind; a kind, cheeky, hilarious boy who was part genius yet part madman when it came to his crazy tactics. The big cheesy smile he wore in the presence of beautiful girls, and those he held close to his heart.

That smile that turned to a grimace as he burned.

The girl snapped the fan and extended a slender hand towards me. "Suki Kyoshi," she introduced, wearing a cheerful smile.

I reached out and shook it. "Katara Quarius. Just moved in from Hawaii with my cousins." I pointed out to Hahn who was enjoying the attention from the girls surrounding him. "That's one of them, Hahns Manor. I apologize in advance for his pigheadedness."

Suki tilted her head as she looked at him. "He has good looks, but I can already tell that he seems to be a kid who has everything handed to him on a silver plate. Doesn't seem like a hard worker." She switched her eyes back on me. "I'm guessing he's the one who leaves the dishes on the table and goes around complaining about how much work he has to do."

I allowed myself to smirk at her analysis. She was pleasant enough to converse with, but I can't allow myself to indulge in pursuing further relationships.

The bell rang and the last of the students stumbled into the classroom. Our teacher, Xan Piandao engaged the classroom in his lecture on classical english works by William Shakespeare, and how some storyline today parallel the plots told within his numerous plays. For english, he gave the class a task to write an excerpt from his numerous plays and compare it to a modern film. He briefly visited me to give me a rundown on the english curriculum for the term, and gave Hahn's the same lecture.

When the bell rang, I slung my bag across my shoulder. Suki came up beside me and read my schedule out aloud. "You've got Drama next with me and then Music afterwards. Nice."

I looked at the young mortal and smiled. "Care to show me the ropes around here?"

She smirked and threw an arm over my shoulder. "Gladly."

We wound our way through the halls, with Suki directing me to different areas. It was refreshing to have someone take the reigns from me for once. It was tempting, to slip back into the ways of the mortals, forgetting about having to be on my toes all around the clock.

"And over here is the cafeteria, which you distinguish by the smell of death," Suki teased.

My smile grew brighter at her mocking attitude. "I'm beginning to like you already Kyoshi."

"Please - just Suki. You don't need to be so formal girl, otherwise you start sounding like some old woman from the early nineteen hundre-"

Thwack!

I smacked my head into another and backed away in pain, cringing at the mistake i made. "I'm sorry about that," I apologised fervently.

"You should be," a low bass tone growled.

My anger flared momentarily at the passive aggression within his tone. I looked up and was about to make a comment on his behaviour but froze in my movements. For a moment I was pushed back in time, to another place, in a different situation. The male teen was just as tall as him, with the exact same body posture and build; strong, regal, controlled movements. He even had the exact same face as him. Lightly tanned skin, with strong cheekbones and a chiseled jawline. Sharp amber gold eyes that flared up with golden flames of fury beneath thick lashes. Were it not for the scar across his left eye or the dark tousled hair that strayed and stopped along the tips of his shoulders the top of his shoulders, it would be as if time had never taken it's toll on the Hunter.

Ozai.

The boy's eyes narrowed in annoyance and fury. "Something wrong with what you see?" Apparently my eyes had lingered too long on his face for his comfort. I stepped back and shook my head. "Sorry, you just resemble this person I met long ago."

"Well, quit it alright?" he snapped back, his face inching closer. The boy's outfit consisted of dark denim jeans and a red flannel shirt the was propped open slightly around the collarbones.

"Zuko, stop being such an asshole, will ya?" Suki defended. Zuko. Not Ozai, Zuko. " Geez, did you like wake up on the wrong side of the bed or something? She's just a new transfer student so stop trying to bite her head off. You were the one that crashed into her first, so I think you're the one that owes her an apology."

"I'll apologize when I know I'm in the wrong, okay Kyoshi?" The boy snapped back at the younger girl, towering over her like a pillar of fire and shadow.

"That's enough," I said cooly, cancelling out his fiery temper with an ice cold wrath of my own. I gave the boy Zuko a small apologetic smile whilst maintaining the cool anger within my voice. "I'm the one in the wrong, so please - don't worry about it."

"C'mon Katara," Suki said, pulling me along by the hand. "I'll introduce you to people with some better manners."

I gave Zuko a bitter nod and followed the young red brunnette down the hall. The minute I was out of his presence my heartbeat sped up, my chest heaving with each breath. Memories crashed down upon me, my mind reliving moments that I'd thought were locked away for all time and eternity. My thoughts reflected back on Zuko, so many questions pouring through my head like water filling up a tub. Calm down Katara, I thought rationally. Just take everything one step at a time. Just stay out of the spotlight and observe.

One step at a time.

* * *

**Be not afraid, good readers. This is what I call a test story - hit it up and review what you think of it so far. If it seems to be good enough for your eyes then I'll continue with the storyline. This is just one of those stories that I've had sitting on googled drive for a while. Review and comment on your thoughts so I know if its worthy or not.**

**Don't worry, I'm still writing Art Of War Clace fans. I just need to take a step back for a bit. Future chapter for that is under way.**

**-Violentkitsune**


	2. Chapter 2

**The moon's an arrant thief, **

**And her pale fire she snatches from the sun;**

**The sea's a thief, whos liquid surge resolves**

**The moon into salt tears**

**\- Timon, scene III**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Lunch was chaos.

Everywhere I look, people are scrambling about from the cafeteria to the fields and courts lying in wait out in the hot sun. Hormonal teens run for the shade beneath the trees, while the more athletic lot took to the courts and pranced about with a ball between their fingertips. The energy in the school was high, with hundreds of teens chirping away in their groups.

I'd forgotten how horrifying high schools were.

"Come on missy," Suki said, hooking her arm around my elbow. "I'll show you where the good spots are."

Her bubbly persona was a shock to my system. It'd been a while since I'd been around someone with such a cheerful outlook on life. Even though Yue was the most social amongst us refugees, she was no substitute for someone who was the pure personification of joy.

The girl cleverly balanced her food tray on one arm whilst leading me across the quad, dodging flying objects and flipping off members of her fellow cohort. She was lively and vibrant, yet there was control to her actions.

"Stay away from the art block over there—" she directed with her arm occupied with her tray, "Because that's where majority of the stoners hang out. Teachers will you dock you a detention slip regardless of whether you have a joint in your fingers or not."

"Noted," I replied, tucking a loose strand behind my ear.

Wandering eyes followed my figure as I travelled throughout the area. I felt like a fresh gladiator stepping into the arena for the first time. I was the new blood, the fresh meat in this personalized coliseum, and they were all eagerly awaiting to see what my first move would be.

Suki lead me to a picnic table that had strategically been placed under a tall willow tree, and was occupied by a few other girls. There was a taller girl, with light brown hair pulled into a tight bun and held in place by a red ribbon atop her head. Next to her, a fair-skinned girl with dark hair and darker eyes toyed around with a daisy chain between her fingertips, chatting away to her companion.

"Ladies!" Suki greeted as we neared them. "How's it going?"

"It's going great," the flower girl sang, weaving the daisies together. She looked up and appraised my figure. Her face was charming and pretty, and she wore a printed maxi dress with a light cardigan over the top. "New girl?"

"Katara Quarius," I introduced, waving my hand lightly. I could tell they thought my appearance was understated. The garments I wore were heavy in their eyes, the kind of gears one would expect to shield them in the cooler seasons of autumn and winter.

"Cool," daisy chain exclaimed excitedly. "I'm Song and the tomboy over here is Kori Morishita. Don't let her face intimidate you, she's sweeter than sugar once you get to know her."

"And tougher than a rock." The Kori girl tossed a basketball in the air and balanced it on the tip of her finger, spinning it round and round. Her fashion sense was reminiscent of an athlete, with a basketball singlet and black mesh shorts paired together. Her build was slim and sturdy like a runner's, yet still maintaining it's feminine attributes.

Suki and I sat down opposite to the two girls. "How long have you been in our neck of the woods for?" Kori asked.

"About two weeks," I replied. "Moved over with my cousins just outside of town on the coast."

"You the youngest?"

_Not by a long shot. _"Middle. I was born a few weeks before my cousin was due into this world. As mature as he may be appearance-wise, he could do with a little growing up." I angled my head and spotted him further up. "Aah. He's over there."

The two girls turned their gazes over to Hahn, who had already collected himself a large group of admirers, both boys and girls alike. He still had the superior grin on his face, and spared no looks in my direction. Not that I minded; were he not a refugee like myself, I would never have associated with someone like him in the first place.

"Uwah! He's so pretty," Song said admiringly. "Like a model. Right, Kori?

The taller girl tilted her head and shrugged. "I guess so, if you like that sort of guy. A little too scrawny for my taste if you ask me."

Song pouted and placed her crown of daises atop her head. Her hair fell in loose waves that danced above her shoulder blades, and her eyes sparkled with a light that I hadn't seen in a long time. It had been many decades since I'd surrounded myself with people as joyful as these girls were.

"Are you girls all seniors too?" I asked them politely.

Kori shook her head. "I'm a senior but Song-bird here is a junior. Her birthday was a few weeks shy of the cut-off date."

Song nodded in confirmation and swiped an apple of Suki's plate. "I know Suki and Song from the soccer team, which is why I'm on good terms with them. If it weren't for that, I'd probably be stuck with the rest of the airheads in my year."

I smiled at Song's comment. Her beauty was kind and gentle, straight out of a fairy tale story. Her features were soft on the eyes, but not so much that they would be all that one would remember her for.

"You play any sport's Katara?" Suki asked, digging into the chicken salad on her plate.

"Never had enough time to do that," I answered her, picking out the fruit kebabs Yue had thoughtfully put together. They were colorful and bright, an assortment of watermelon, kiwifruit, frozen blueberries, oranges, and banana's put together on a wooden skewer. _I was too busy trying to survive. _

"That's a down-right shame," Kori mumbled. "You've got a good build on you – you would've been great on the team."

"I may look fit, but trust me when I say I have two left feet," I defended. "Only thing you can trust me to do is catch and throw."

After a few minutes of idle prodding, they resumed their own smooth conversations, slipping back into their own rhythm as they talked about their own things. Despite my lack of interaction in further conversation, I didn't feel excluded or merely present for their appearance. They were still welcoming towards me. To be truthful, it had been a long time since I'd felt welcomed by anyone other than restaurant owners and eager boys who wanted to add me to their list of conquests.

I took the time to study the different groups clustered about in the area. The young newbies, so-called 'freshman' I believe, were still new to this social heirachy and stayed deep within the lunchroom, identifiable by the bulky bags and new clothes. The sophomores were spread out in the cafeteria, with a few brave individuals venturing outside onto the courts with the other jocks and the likes. The rest of the student body divided between the outside courts and fields, and the rooftop gardens from the looks of it. Everyone seemed to fit into their given stereotypes, playing the roles they were destined to before they were born.

_Tasteless,_ I thought to myself, looking at the way the mortals behaved. _No originality whatsoever. Everyone's dictated by the latest trends in society._

There was one particular group that caught my though. Funnily enough, it happened to have that brooding punk that I'd clashed heads with in the corridor earlier. Said boy was wandering lounging out in the sun, with another boy featuring tanned skin and shaggy brown hair chewing on a blade of wheatgrass beside him. A trio of girls sat beside them, conversing intensely with the shaggy-haired boy while he tossed an apple in the air.

There was something about the group that bothered me, something that fluttered about insistently in the pits of my stomach. It was one of those annoying sensations, the kind that was akin to paranoia.

Shaggy hair seemed to have taken notice of my wandering and arched one eyebrow over his eyes, winking suggestively from over in his corner.

"Suki?" I interrupted. "That Zuko fellow that I collided into earlier – is that him over there?"

All three girls looked over at where I was pointing and looked at the group of individuals clustered together. "Yep, good old Zuko," Kori said boorishly. "He's very two-dimensional, that one. You never know what you're going to get with him."

"Don't be mean, Kori," Song chastised. "Zuko's a decent and friendly guy once you get to know him, okay?"

"Easy for you to say," Suki teased. "Your families are close with each other, so of course he's going to be nice to you when you've got heaps of dirt to spill about him." The auburn-haired girl turned back to me. "Sorry about that one though. He only really has two moods – three if you're lucky; calm, helpful, and downright stingy."

I nodded along with her words as if they meant something to me."And that boy beside him?"

"Jet? Zuko's partner in crime right there." Kori answered for me. "Total flirt though, so watch out around him."

"Aah. That would explain the glances he was giving me."

There was something about that group that raised my guards, and I couldn't bear to spend another minute in this school without knowing what it was that annoyed me like a persistent mosquito. Something drew my attention to them specifically. Their faces were familiar and yet completely foreign at the same time.

Hnn. But for today, we'll just let things slip by for now. Right now my priority is to get myself sorted for the rest of my time here.

"I see you made yourself a few new friends with the humans."

Hahns, ever the annoying boy. Just watching him prance about with a smug grin on his face was enough to push me to the brink of slapping it off his face.

"I can say the same for you," I replied calmly, parking the car up near the dockyards. "You seem to have acquired quite a large group of admirers. A little unnecessary, don't you think?"

"Just doing what I can to blend in. Gaining the favor of the popular crowd in that academy will no doubt induce them to accept us."

"Of course." Because that's what you do when you're trying to blend in with the humans. You make yourself appear like a big superstar and focus all their attentions on you. _Brilliant idea, Hahn._

I let the engine of the Jeep idle away and slowly fade into silence in the car park, watching as the ferry trickled into the bay. I could faintly make out Yue going through in the administration building where all the passengers passed through to access the boat, watching her silver halo move about inside. There was certain fluidity to her movements, as if she were the leading lady for a ballet. Yue was somewhat of an enigma to me. Throughout all her years on this earth, she still seemed to hold on to that fantasy of a peaceful life, retaining that air of femininity that I'd lost long ago. She was such a girly-girl, using her feminine charms and playing the well-mannered lady while delighting herself in the expensive joys of the world. Am I jealous?

Perhaps.

Yue had a far more easy going childhood than the rest of us. While the rest of the tribes were scattered and swam for safety, the remainder of her family had taken her to a secure place up in the colder regions of the north, where she spent most of her life sheltered in the cold waters. Her guardians worked hard to bring her up safely until she had reached maturity before finally travelling out into the open. She didn't experience the hard-ships of this world until much later in her life.

Lucky woman.

Beside me, Hahns began to undo the buckle for his belt, slinging it over his shoulder and proceeding to open the car door. "Where are you going?"

He pointed in Yue's direction inside the building. "To help her out, of course." His tone was like a child pointing out his parent's obliviousness. "Not to mention there are a few people there that I recognize from my class at the academy. Might as well make sure I solidify a proper relationship with them."

"Don't get too friendly though," I warned him. "We don't know how long we'll be here for."

He rolled his eyes and slammed the door, leaning in through the open window panel. "What makes you think any of those humans will become my friends? This is just my way of surviving. He reclined and tapped the door on his way. "After all, the outsiders are the ones that get the most time in the spotlight."

He strutted away from the car, one hand tucked into his pocket while he waved out to a group of students from the school resting outside the café next to Yue's workplace. He seemed so confident, so comfortable as he eased himself into the ways of the human society. Both he and Yue had no problem posing as mere mortals. Meanwhile I had more trouble trying to forget the past, especially the memories that instigated my hatred for mankind.

I pulled the lever on the side of the seat and leaned back. Once it was on a good angle, I slipped on my sunglasses and lulled myself into s little car was so comfortable, with the soft leather seats that blunted the feel of the steel frame beneath it. I was drawn to cars. There was something about them that made me feel at peace, as if there was no way the outside world could ever hurt me as long as I was in it. The Jeep Wrangler was by far one of my favorite models to own since my time dwelling on land, emitting a sense of masculine dominance. Sure the paint was a little faded, and the interior in dire need of new upholstery, but either way it was _my _car.

It was huge, far better than the smaller models that I use to drive in the nineties, and there was plenty of room for these legs of mine. Not to mention there was a certain power that one held whilst driving at the helm. This vehicle was practical and suitable for my basic needs, including, if the moment ever arrives, the ability to battle all types of weather patterns and crossing over more challenging terrains.

They should change the advertisements for these cars. Introducing the Jeep Wrangler: The Perfect Get-away Car.

"Nice wheels."

My eyes snapped open, hidden by the lenses covering my face. A familiar boy from the school leaned against the framework of the car, running his hand across the hood of the Jeep. His shaggy brown hair had been pushed back off his forehead by a plastic headband, and in his mouth he continued to chew insistently on a piece of wheat.

I sat up in my seat, partially annoyed at both the guy and myself. I should've closed the window. I pushed my glasses up and checked out the admirer of my car. "Thanks."

"So you _are _awake." He moved back to the window and fixated a charming glance on my figure. "Didn't think you were gonna wake up any time soon."

I rolled my eyes, eyeing the impish smile that crawled onto his face. "Light sleeper."

"You're the new senior up at the Academy right? Pretty blue eyes and all?"

"'Pretty blue eyes'? My, you know how to make a girl blush," I said, a crooked smile threading its way through my voice. Got to hand it to him, this guy knew what to do to break the barriers between the sexes. He radiated confidence, the knowledge of self-assurance planted deep within him. Up close, I could smell a hint of something musky, and slightly intoxicating on him.

_Vanilla? Popcorn? The latest Lynx chocolate temptation? _

"I take it this is the part where you show your charitable side and introduce yourself to the newbie, make her feel welcomed to the town and all."

"It is my nature to ensure every newcomer feels at home on my turf," he said with a bow. "Name's Jet, senior classman in 13-A, and co-captain for house Glades."

"Impressive credentials." He smiled eagerly at my praise. "Is that all you have to offer on the table?"

"Oh, I have many things to offer on the table, Miss Quarius." I furrowed my eyebrows in surprise as he stated my alias. I opened my mouth to speak but he cut across my speech. "Word gets around fast when two seniors suddenly pop into our school weeks after the year has begun. Newbies tend to become the celebs for the first week."

"Ahh, of course." Nobody likes to be kept out of the loop in this generation. Everyone has to be in the know about everything.

"Although I seem to have a lapse in my memory though," he said coolly. "Remind you what your first name is?"

"Katara," I said casually, flicking it out on the tip of my tongue. "So what's a somewhat charming guy like yourself doing hanging about my car?" I slung one arm up lazy across the steering wheel and gazed at him demurely.

"'Somewhat charming'? I should think I'd warrant the title of grandmaster of charisma," he boasted proudly, winking again at me. "I simply came over to let you know that I'm a friendly face, and that I'm here to help out a fellow comrade. Especially one as beautiful and exotic as you."

I rolled my eyes. His words were pretty, but rehearsed, as if he'd spent days on end perfecting the delivery of his phrase. His tone was light but hinted at something more, and his body language was a complex composition of care and an invite for more intimate encounters, polished with years of practice and sprinkled with a handful of gentleness on top. In these mere minutes alone with him, I had him pinned as the typical womanizer type, the kind of men I usually steered clear of.

"Well, I appreciate the open invitation there, Jet," I replied kindly, giving him the barest smile that I had in my arsenal. "At least I know who to look for in my hour of need."

"Glad to be of service to you."

"Jet! Get your ass over here!"

I angled my head a little out the window and watched a car pull up close behind my rear. The driver had his face obscured by a pair of dark sunglasses but she could still identify the individual by the tone of his voice.

"Calm down, Zuko," Jet said childishly. "You can wait a few minutes, can't you?"

"I may, but do you think our boss will be so considerate when he finds out your dallying about is what's costing us time?"

The brunette rolled his eyes at his friend and fixed a devilish smirk at me. "Guess that's my cue to go."

"Leaving so soon? But we were just starting to get to know one another."

Jet rolled his eyes and continued to shoot me with flirtatious expressions. "I'll see you around in school though, Miss Katara."

He swaggered back to the car behind me. In the mirror I could see him arguing profusely with Zuko the Pretentious, waving his hand wildly while he jumped over the door into the passenger seat. The conversation was drowned by the loud music erupting from the small vehicle, and the roar of the engine only added more noise to the chaotic choir. In mere seconds the car sped out of view, disappearing out of the car park and taking them to who knows what.

I slumped back in the seat in relief. As pleasant as that little chatter was, I could already predict that boy's ultimate endgame for me. His personality, his attitude, his smooth speech – it spoke volumes about the kind of character he was. It starts off sweet, but in the end all he wants is another conquest to add to his belt. Nothing more. Nothing less.

.

Contrary to what Disney depicts, not all merfolk wear shell bras' or have flattering sculpted torsos', or long billowing hair that coincidentally cover up their naked torso. Sure, some people I've meet prefer that, but it's not exactly common practice amongst the survivors. We have our own flaws to deal with, but that doesn't mean we don't have a way of hiding them.

After heading back home with my 'family' we spent an hour and a bit having a meal and talking about our day. Hahn's took it upon himself to be Yue's conversationalist for the evening, bantering back and forth about each other's day and what they liked so much. It's mind-blowing how dramatic his personality changes. With me, he's nothing more than a snotty, spoilt princeling, but around Yue he treats her like she's a revered goddess, always polite and chipper with her.

It gets on my nerves.

As soon as I finished my plate, I rinsed and washed and gave them the heads up that I was heading to Ruby Bay on the bike. Yue warned me to be careful, but Hahn's merely waved me off with a knowing look in his eyes.

The scenery was nice. Poetic - something out of a fairy tale even. Sunset scorched the sand to fine quartz pink, and the sea was playful, tossing the waves back and forth. The rocks had an odd reddish hue to them as the sun sank below the horizon. Ruby Bay seemed aptly named, especially with the way things looked at this hour of the day.

Few people were seen on the sandy shorelines. All the cars were driving away and heading back home for dinner and homework; young lovers pranced back up the stairwell leading back to civilization. My presence didn't raise any suspicions amongst those leaving.

It was nice, feeling the sand rustled beneath the soles of my feet, listening to the birds cry out their farewells to the golden globe while the sea whispered against the land. But the shells crushing underneath my weight? Not exactly the most pleasant sensation.

There was a cove a little further around the corner, blocked off by heavy boulders and deep rock pools full of the sea's treasures. I didn't have to worry too much about my footing; after years on land you learn to adapt to the different terrains. High tide was coming in quickly, lapping up at the sides of the seaweed-covered boulders that I bounded from. Once I was at the entrance of the cove I looked in to see if there were any unwelcome visitors. The cave itself was huge, as if god himself came down and punched a hole in the wall. The seafloor sunk deeper the further you move into the cave. The roof was high with jagged rocks pointing down like inverted anthills, and if you swam deeper to the bottom of the floor, one could see stalagmites piercing upwards.

Water came flooding in quickly, slapping forcefully against the boulder I was standing on. I gripped my toes onto the rock while I stared into the mouth of the cave. It had been a long time since I'd been swimming, and I wanted to relish the feeling as much as possible. As soon as the sun sunk behind the horizon and I arced my hands above my head and swan-dived into the blue abyss.

Here's the thing – when a mermaid shifts into her different states, it's not exactly a pretty thing to experience

It's bloody painful.

It takes a few seconds for the bones in my legs to break and reform, for the skin to be replaced by scales and fins. Holding your breath a harder process as the transformation completes. Some Merfolk are blessed with instantaneous transformation in the blink of an eye wile others wait up to a whole minute for the pain to subside. Lucky for me the gills burst forth on my neck the minute my head ducks beneath the water, so I can breathe easy.

Clothes melt away from my body, disappearing into who knows what. I'm left in a metallic corset that supports my torso and is held in place by a piece of Pauldron armor made from silver steel. Blue metal vambraces are lashed around my forearms and held tightly by leather straps that tie up underneath.

Every time I change, I look down at myself. I'll admit that I look pretty damn good though; the armor is always light and flexible, moving with my body rather than against it. The tail is a shimmering trio of teal, turquoise, and spell-binding lapis-lazuli, with teal fins jutting out. But there's always a hint of sadness spoiling the effect. The armor I wear, the different hues of blue that color my scales, the silver tattoo on my left collarbone - they're the remains of my family, small reminders of a tribe that is lost to me.

I'm the last of my tribe, a living legacy of a dying past.

I clench my fists tight and casually flick my tail behind me, blowing out bubbles as I trade oxygen for salt water in my lungs. It's easy to move through the obstacles below. I hitch a ride on the currents and dive further down into the cavern, past the fish that creep out from their hidey-holes and the sharpened pillars that rise from the water. It's easy to let go of everything and slip into this natural lifestyle. I was born to live in the sea, to master the waters and protect the creatures therein.

It's exhilarating.

I move deeper into the cave, further down towards the ground until the sunlight no longer pierces through the waves. To my left is an opening, a tunnel that leads to a place only Merfolk can ever find.

I grab the nearest stalagmite and swing myself around, pulling myself out of the current and into the tunnel. With a wave of my hand the tunnel blocks off by a shield of frozen ice. As if on cue, insignia's on the walls begin to glow a warm gold light, casting their rays over everything ahead of me. I hum in relief as I recognize the familiar craftsmanship. Every now and then a lamp juts out from the sculpted walls, glowing dimly with hues of purple and gold. Eventually the tunnel ascends upwards and I find myself thrust upwards into a warm cavern, smaller than the other cave.

The tunnel opens up to a small pool with low steps to help me pull myself out. The moment I break through the water, I'm met with a cool sensation that dances across my skin. The room seems to hum in content as the pale pink chandelier above me glows to life. Sparks of light dance through the clean air. Around me I look at all the possessions that have collected over time in this small safe haven: books, diaries, journals, maps of the world. Dolls are nestled in a sandcastle in the corner, with a few more toys seated on cushions and small hills of gold doubloons. A few mirrors stand up against the sandstone walls, dusted with a hint of the stuff from years of abandonment. Easels lay scattered, and dead plants wilted in their elegant vases. Coral sprouted off the walls, while water leaked down the walls.

Coral Dens were common safe havens for Merfolk on the run. Since the Purge, local habitats were destroyed in the hunt for my kind, and we were forced to remake a series of safe havens throughout the land. Sokka's words rang in my head as I pulled myself out of the water and onto the side step.

_"Did you know we used to have islands?" he said._

_"Islands?"_

_"Mm-hmm. Lots of islands." He smiled brightly and made dramatic gestures with his palms. Our grandmother sat behind me and threaded her fingers through my hair, combing it back into a long braid. She kept quite while my brother continued his history lesson in the late evening by the lakeside. _

_"Yep. Gran-gran said each of the tribes used to live on different islands all around the world. Most of them lived near Greece, but our tribe—" he proudly brandished the tattoo on his inner left bicep, "—used to live down in the south near the ice. That's why we're better than everybody else, cause we can handle the cold heaps better."_

_"And it was beautiful," Gran-gran added. She placed her hands on my shoulders and stroked my hair back. "When snow fell we created the most magnificent ice sculptures. When Winter Solstice came, our sister tribe in the north came down to our isles and we held honorary tournaments in honor of the event."_

_"And we wasted their punk asses!"_

_"Sokka!" I yelped. "Bad language."_

_"It's true," Gran-gran chuckled. Her hand snaked into view to slap my brother around the head. "We're a warrior tribe. We were born to dance with our enemies and play the instruments of war. Our sister tribe are a devout religious lot. They praise the Gods and spirits more than the other tribes around the world. It's a wonder they even manage to produce any good participants in the games."_

I pulled my fin up out of the water and winced while the change took place. One of the dolls nearby had singed hair and ashes covering the porcelain skin. One of the arms was broken and it was missing a shoe on it's left foot.

Not for the first time did I wish I could lean on my brother's shoulder right now. He'd know the prefect joke to make me smile and clutch my sides. Sokka would play around and make me forget everything. He'd make everything disappear.

"Gods, I miss you so much."

* * *

**Here's the other mermaid chapter, as promised. Sorry it's taken so long to update.**


End file.
